2.1 Understanding Synchronization

2.1.1 When Synchronization Occurs

Synchronization from the ESN desktop application to the ESN server occurs immediately after the file is saved and closed; synchronization from the ESN server to the ESN desktop application occurs at an interval designated by your ESN administrator. The default is every 15 minutes. If the server becomes unavailable, the desktop client attempts to contact the server every minute until a connection is re-established.

You can manually synchronize files if you do not want to wait for the scheduled synchronization. For more information, see Manually Synchronizing Files and Folders.

2.1.2 Which Folders Are Synchronized

ESN synchronizes files to your workstation when the files are located in the following locations:

My Files: Files that are located in your My Files area on the ESN site are synchronized to your workstation by default. When you add files to the My Files folder from your workstation (C:\Users\username\Filr\My Files), the files are automatically synchronized to ESN at the next synchronization.

Shared with Me: Files that are located in your Shared with Me area on the ESN site are synchronized to your workstation by default. You can edit files in your Shared with Me area and the edits are synchronized to ESN, if you have Editor or Contributor rights. However, you cannot add files to the root of the Shared with Me folder from the ESN desktop application on your workstation (C:\Users\username\Filr\Shared with Me/). If you do, the files are not synchronized to ESN. You can add files to folders that have been shared with you, if you have Contributor rights to the folder.

Net Folders: Files that are located in Net Folders are not synchronized to your workstation by default.

Net Folders are folders and files on your corporate file system. Corporate files can be files on your home directory, files on a mapped drive, or files on a remote server. ESN gives you seamless access to these files, regardless of their location. The corporate files that you have access to are defined by your ESN administrator.

Files located at the root of the C:\Users\username\Filr folder cannot be synchronized. Instead, add files to one of the appropriate subfolders (My Files or Net Folders).

2.1.3 What Actions Are Supported

When you perform any of the following actions on folders and documents within the ESN folder on your file system, the action is synchronized between your computer file system and the ESN server at the next synchronization:

  • Create documents and folders

  • Copy documents and folders

  • Comment on documents

  • Delete documents and folders

    Documents and folders that you delete from the ESN desktop application are also deleted on the server, as long as you have rights to delete it. However, this is not always true when deleting documents from the Shared with Me area.

    If you delete a document or folder from the Shared with Me area and that document or folder has been directly shared with you, it is no longer synchronized to the ESN desktop application and the documents and folders remain on the server.

    If you delete a document or folder that is a subfolder of a folder that was shared with you, or if the document is located in a folder that was shared with you, the document or folder is deleted from server if you have sufficient rights to delete it.

  • Modify documents

  • Move documents and folders

  • Rename documents and folders

  • Share documents and folders

2.1.4 Manually Synchronizing Files and Folders

You can manually synchronize files and folders between ESN and your computer if you do not want to wait for the scheduled synchronization. Files must be closed before they can be synchronized.

To manually synchronize all your files:

  1. Right-click the ESN icon in the notification area, then click Synchronize now.

To manually synchronize an individual file or folder:

  1. Navigate to the file or folder that you want to synchronize.

  2. Right-click the file or folder, then click More ESN Options > Synchronize now.

2.1.5 Viewing Pending Synchronization Changes

  1. Right-click the ESN icon in the notification area, then click Open ESN console.

  2. Click Pending Changes.